Apparatus for raising submerged vessels

ABSTRACT

Apparatus for raising submerged vessels by hollow buoyant elements which have been pretreated to make the internal pressure in the elements approximately equal to the external pressures to which they are subjected when in a submerged vessel. The apparatus comprises a pressurized air conduit through which the elements pass into a water conduit or a water filled lower portion of the air conduit communicating with the submerged vessel, including means for preventing accumulation of the elements during their passage through the conduits, and means for preventing passage of free unconfined pressurized air into the vessel.

United States Patent 3 Jim D. Helbig APPARATUS FOR RAISING SUBMERGED VESSELS s Chi-1,3 Drawing m User 114/54 1. r1 B63c 1/12 FieldolSeu-ch 114/50, 52,

Primary Examiner-Andrew H. Farrell I Attorney-Bertha L. MacGregor ABSTRACT: Apparatus for raising submerged vessels by hollow buoyant elements which have been pretreated to make the internal pressure in the elements approximately equal to the external pressures to which they are subjected when in a submerged vessel. The apparatus comprises a pressurized air conduit through which the elements pass into a water conduit or a water filled lower portion of the air conduit communicating with the submerged vessel, including means for preventing accumulation of the elements during their passage through the conduits, and means for preventing passage of free unconfined pressurized air into the vessel.

PATENTEU was] IHYI SHEET 1 (IF 3 INVENTOR. Jim 0. Helbig A TTORNEY PATENIEUAus31 Ian 3.602.177

SHEET 2 OF 3 I J 1/ Q J J J J I3 mvm'mu. Jim D. Helbig A TTORNEY PATENIED was! IHTI 3302.177

sum 3 0F 3 FIG. 5

INVENTOR.

Jim D. He/big APPARATUS FOR: RAISING SUBMERGED VESSELS This invention relates to apparatus for raising-sunken vessels, and more particularly to mechanism for. conveying buoyant elements from a walled pressure chamber to the submerged vessel that is to be raised; I

The mechanism herein shown and described may be embodied in apparatus of the kind disclosed in my US. Pat. No.

$303,808 which embodies buoyant hollow elements having.

walls impervious to air and water,- each provided withan aperture through which air passes automatically into the elements when the air pressure is greater externally than internally of the elements and passes automatically out of. the elements when the presure is greater internally than externally of the elements, but through which water cannot pass whenpressures internal and external of the elements aresubstantially equal; a walled pressure chamber containing said elements and air pressurized toa predetermined pressure atleast equal In my said patented apparatus,.the conduit through which the buoyant elements pass from the pressurized air chamber to the submerged vessel receives a supply of pressurized air from a suitable source carried by a surface craft, the supplyof pres-.-

surized air being maintained at pressures approximately equal to the pressure of water at the depth of thesubmerged vessel.

It has been found that free pressurized air from the conduit (together with the buoyant elcmentsin which pressurized air the free pressurized air has been dissipated, the vessel sinks again.

The main object of this invention is to prevent passage of unconfined pressurized air into the submerged vessel, and to provide means for conveying the'buoyant elements from the pressurized chamber through an air and water conduit into the vessel without hindrance due to floating of the buoyant elements when they pass through the conduit and encounter water in the lower end of the conduit. In the. drawings:

FIG. 1 is a vertical sectional view, partly in elevation, of apparatus for raising submerged vessels embodying my. invention.

FIG. 2 is a vertical sectional view, partly in elevation, of a modification of the invention as shown in FIG. 1.

FIG. 3 shows another modification of the apparatus. In that embodiment of the invention shown in FIG. 1, a pressurized air chamber 10 receives a supply of apertured buoyant elements through its closed valved top form a hopper.

(not shown), the bottom of the chamber being opened and closed by a slide valve 11. A submerged vessel is indicated bythe numeral 12 and a plurality of buoyant elements by 13. A pressurized air conduit 15 communicates with the pressure chamber 10 at its upper end and extends downwardly. through water to a level near that of the submerged vessel. Near its lower end, theconduit 15 has mounted thereon a pair of vertically spaced apart pulleys 16 on which a belt 17 is trained so that a portion of the belt located inside of the conduit 15 travels downwardly adjacent the inner surface of the conduit in contact with the passing elements 13a The pulleys are rotated by a motor (not shown) which may be carried by surface craft or mounted on the conduit by any suitable means.

Near its lower end the conduit 15 is provided with air vents 18 open end through which. water is injected into the coupling by an eductor 23. The water jet passing from the eductor 23 into the coupling 20 and conduit 21 may be forced by a jet pump (not shown) or other suitable means carried by a surface craft. A weight 22 attached to the coupling holds the conduits 15 and 21 in predetermined positions for conveying thebuoyant elements 13 into the vessel 12.

The buoyant elements 13 fall by gravity from the pressurized chamber 10 into the pressurized air conduit 15 and are prevented from floating when they reach the water containing coupling 20 and conduit 21 by the positive driving of the belt 17 which prevents accumulation of the elements 1 3 at or near the water level in-the coupling 20. Pressurized air in the conduit-15 is-prevented from passing into the vessel '12 by the presence of the water in the coupling 20 and by the air vents 18 through which the air escapes. While in the conduit 21, the buoyant elements move in response to the water jet 23 to the submerged vessel.

Thus the vessel 12 will be filled with sufficient volume of the buoyant elements to raise the vessel by the sustained lifting power of the confined pressurized air in the elements 13, and temporary, unreliable false lifting by unconfined pressurized airis avoided.

The buoyant elements 13 may vary in size, but the conveyor belt 17 is flexible and adjusts itself to contact spheres of different sizes. If small spheres pass the belt 17 without actual contact therewith, they are kept in movement and prevented from floating and accumulating at water level by the spheres which are in positive driving contact with the belt 17.

The modification shown in FIG. 2 comprises parts heretofore described, including the pressurized air chamber 10, slide valve 11, submerged vessel 12, and buoyant elements 13. In this embodiment, the pressurized air conduit 25 terminates in an end portion 26 which is inserted into the vessel 12. Water will fill the end portion 26 to the level permitted by the air pressure in the conduit 25. Positive means for moving the elements 13 in the conduit 25 may be pulleys 27 and belt 28 such as the parts 16 and 17 heretofore described, or any mechanical device such as a pivotally movable finger (not shown) for contacting the. buoyant elements 13 to keep them moving through the conduit 25-26 and prevent accumulation due to flotation of the elements when they encounter water beneath the pressurized air in the conduit. Due to the upturned form of the terminal portion 26 of the conduit, the mechanical means for moving the elements 13 are located as shown in FIG. 2.

FIG. 3 shows a modification in which the air conduit 30 extends directly down into the vessel 12. It may be provided with air vents 31 to permit limited escape of pressurized air. Mechanical means such as the pulleys 32 and belt 33, or other suitable mechanism (not shown) impart motion to the elements Y13 and prevent accumulation in the conduit 30 at the water level therein which is determined by'the air pressure in the conduit.

The provision of mechanical devices for moving the buoyant elements from. the. pressurized air conduit into a water filled conduit or portion of the air conduit at equal pressure, for discharging them into the vessel to be raised,

eliminates the need for employing free pressurized air for this ing accumulation of the buoyant elements during their passage through the conduits, as well as the means for preventing passage of free unconfined pressurized air into the vessel, described and shown herein,'are applicable to either valved or valveless buoyant elements.

I claim: 1. Apparatus for raising submerged vessels comprising a. a plurality of apertured buoyant elements subjected to pressurized air to make their internal pressures approximately equal to the pressures to which they are subjected when in a submerged vessel,

b. a conduit containing pressurized air through which the internally pressurized elements pass to a submerged vessel, said conduit having its lower end immersed in .water within the vessel, and

c. mechanical means in the conduit comprising a driven belt which travels downwardly in the conduit contacting and submerging the buoyant elements in the water in the lower end of the conduit in a continuous operation moving the elements directly from the pressurized air portion of the conduit to the water filled portion of the conduit and toward the vessel while they are submerged and preventing accumulation of elements in the conduit before discharge into the vessel.

2. The apparatus defined by claim 1 which includes air vents located near the lower end of the air conduit for permitting limited escape of air from the conduit.

3. Apparatus for raising submerged vessels comprising a. a walled pressurized chamber,

b. a plurality of apertured buoyant elements subjected to pressurized air in the chamber to make their internal pressures approximately equal to the pressures to which they are subjected when in a submerged vessel,

c. a pressurized air conduit communicating with the pressurized chamber,

d. a water conduit having an opening therein communicating with a water supply and connected to the air conduit for receiving buoyant elements from the air conduit and conveying them to a submerged vessel,

e. an eductor for injecting a water stream into the water conduit for moving buoyant elements through the conduit into the submerged vessel, and I f. air vents in the air conduit permitting escape of air from the air conduit.

4. The apparatus defined by claim 6, which includes mechanical means in the conduit contacting and submerging the buoyant elements in the water conduit in a continuous operation moving the elements directly from the pressurized air conduit to the water conduit and toward the vessel while they are submerged and preventing accumulation of elements in the conduit before discharge into the vessel.

5. Apparatus for raising submerged vessels comprising a. a walled pressurized chamber,

b. a plurality of apertured buoyant elements subjected to pressurized air in the chamber to make their internal pressures approximately equal to the pressures to which they are subjected when in a submerged vessel,

c. a pressurized air conduit communicating with the pressurized chamber,

d. a water conduit connected to the air conduit for receiving buoyant elements from the air conduit and conveying them to a submerged vessel, and I e. a T-shaped hollow coupling connected to the air and water conduits having an opening therein for reception of a water stream passing into the water conduit. 

1. Apparatus for raising submerged vessels comprising a. a plurality of apertured buoyant elements subjected to pressurized air to make their internal pressures approximately equal to the pressures to which they are subjected when in a submerged vessel, b. a conduit containing pressurized air through which the internally pressurized elements pass to a submerged vessel, said conduit having its lower end immersed in water within the vessel, and c. mechanical means in the conduit comprising a driven belt which travels downwardly in the conduit contacting and submerging the buoyant elements in the water in the lower end of the conduit in a continuous operation moving the elements directly from the pressurized air portion of the conduit to the water filled portion of the conduit and toward the vessel while they are submerged and preventing accumulation of elements in the conduit before discharge into the vessel.
 2. The apparatus defined by claim 1 which includes air vents located near the lower end of the air conduit for permitting limited escape of air from the conduit.
 3. Apparatus for raising submerged vessels comprising a. a walled pressurized chamber, b. a plurality of apertured buoyant elements subjected to pressurized air in the chamber to make their internal pressures approximately equal to the pressures to which they are subjected when in a submerged vessel, c. a pressurized air conduit communicating with the pressurized chamber, d. a water conduit having an opening therein communicating with a water supply and connected to the air conduit for receiving buoyant elements from the air conduit and conveying them to a submerged vessel, e. an eductor for injecting a water stream into the water conduit for moving buoyant elements through the conduit into the submerged vessel, and f. air vents in the air conduit permitting escape of air from the air conduit.
 4. The apparatus defined by claim 6, which includes mechanical means in the conduit contacting and submerging the buoyant elements in the water conduit in a continuous operation moving the elements directly from the pressurized air conduit to the water conduit and toward the vessel while they are submerged and preventing accumulation of elements in the conduit before discharge into the vessel.
 5. Apparatus for raising submerged vessels comprising a. a walled pressurized chamber, b. a plurality of apertured buoyant elements subjected to pressurized air in the chamber to make their internal pressures approximately equal to the pressures to which they are subjected when in a submerged vessel, c. a pressurized air conduit communicating with the pressurized chamber, d. a water conduit connected to the air conduit for receiving buoyant elements from the air conduit and conveying them to a submerged vessel, and e. a T-shaped hoLlow coupling connected to the air and water conduits having an opening therein for reception of a water stream passing into the water conduit. 